Bob said:


All the netting I have seen seems to be a 3/4 mesh.

Is this the "right" size to keep small songbirds, finches, chickadees,
etc off of the Raspberries ? Or,...?

Yes.

Do you just drape it over the bush/vine, or do you need some kind of a
support structure to hold the netting a few inches away ?

Best with a support structure. It's fairly easy to make one using PVC pipe
and fittings (3/4 or 1 inch).

Here's one way of doing it:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2552/

I'd suggest adding a frame of some sort around the bottom to hold the
netting against the ground.


B. My second question concerns Raspberries.

Planted some vines for the first time.
How big a problem is birds and Raspberries ?

They haven't been a big problem for me. But I live in a neighborhood
that's overrun with mulberry trees, which offer vast quantities of a
*much* more desirable fruit.

I don't have to net my raspberries here, but I do need to net my
strawberries. Since these are low-growing, I don't need to make
a structure out of the PVC pipe, but simply bend them into an arc
and drive the ends into the ground.

I remember having to use netting on my raspberries at my last place.
The blue jays were the worst offenders, if I recall correctly.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Vegetables are like bombs packed tight with all kinds of important
nutrients..." --Largo Potter, Valkyria Chronicles

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